The first phase of the HERCULES project used a multidisciplinary team of academics from across UCL, including clinicians, architects and specialists in space management and materials. Their goal was to create a hub which could tackle the significant post-pandemic backlog. This was achieved by reducing the average appointment time from 2-4 hours to 45-60 minutes. Learn more about this project.
The second phase, led by Prof. Duncan Wilson, operates out of the Connected Environments lab at the Centre of Advanced Spatial Analysis, at the Bartlett. The Connected Enviroments Lab is based at UCL East’s state-of- the-art One Pool Street. Yaman observes that at UCL East the challenge is not how to design, it’s what to design because you have so many different tools.
Why did you want to get involved in the Hercules project and specifically in the development of the COACH unit?
I am from an engineering background, which is all about solving problems. When my supervisor, Prof. Wilson presented the opportunity to address Moorfields’ patient backlogs, I was eager to engage in this meaningful challenge.
How do you see the coach units impacting the broader healthcare environment beyond eye clinics?
There is a mentality behind it of finding and getting hold of quantitative data, which can help us gather scientific conclusions. In a medical environment, smart systems enable strategy decisions based on factual data rather than personal opinions. For example, the COACH units can tell the stories of a busy clinic through actionable numbers.
Do you think you will remain in the medical field after this project, or do you see yourself moving into other areas?
I am keen to stay in the medical field, building on the momentum gained. Last year, after my master’s, I worked on applying net-zero principles to operating theatres by shutting them down when not in use. Also, there is considerable potential for engineers to solve problems within the UK medical field and globally.
What are you planning on doing next?
I have applied for a PhD focused on further understanding patient flow at Moorfields. Every time you use a different technology, you gain a different perspective and conclusions, which accumulate to tell a better story for decision-makers. My PHD proposal will explore a third iteration of this project, a step further than Hercules’s patient sensors or the COACH units.
